Mechanical musical apparatus.



PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907.

- BIO-847,895.

G. P. BRAND. MECHANICAL MUSICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14.1904.

GEORGE P. BRAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.-

IVIECHANICAL MUSICAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed April 14, 1904:. Serial No 203.137.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BRAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiitation suiticient to enal1le Others skilled in the art to which the invention appertainsto make and the same.

My invention relates to pneumatic apparatus for automatically actuating keys of musical instruments, substantially as set forth in my conaurrent applitation, Serial No. 182,449, filed November 24, 1903," and consists, essentially, in substituting for themnormal-tension reservoir and connections therein described a normal-tension reservoir provided with mechanism for regulating and varying such normal tension, sub stantially as described in my con-current application, Serial No. 202,543, filed April 11, 1904, whereby certain advantageous results are attained, as hereinafter set forth.

The invention also includes incidentally the specific construction, comt ination, and arrangement of parts herein described and claimed. I

The accompanying drawing is a diagram in sectional elevation of parts essential in arryingout my invention without regard to their exac t relative positions in the apparatus.

E E are exhausters of any desired eonstruetion, those shown being provided with pallet-valves opening into external chambers e e, as in my (011 urrent applit ation first referred to herein, said chambers being connetted by a duct 0. Anydesired number of exhausters E E may be used in conjunction, eath being onnected through the (hambers 1 e with the 211K(llillflllllQIiQSOI'YOlT A by means ol a (ill ft a, which opens directly into the a centua:ing-reservoir A.

(i is the intermediate-tension chest interposed between the normal reservoir and regulator R and a" t entua'ling-reservoir A and the artion box or thest H. This intermediatetension (host G is partrioned (If into three 1 com pari ments 9 g g, the central one ol which, 9, tonstitutes a variatle-tension chamber connnuniaating with the tt'lilfill-(lltSi .ll through the tXlHILlSi-Q-OlltlLlli 7:.

A t'onduit 'r 'tonnests the normal-tension regulator It i with the hamber g, and in like manner the a entuat ing--reservoir vA is onnected by the 1 conduit (1 with the chamber 9 in the 1 haml or g is situated a diaphragm g, separating the rest of the (hammer il'nll]. the end formed with the openingg" into the atmosphere. In like manner the L hamirer g is provided with a larger diaphragm g separating the rest of the t-liil-lDllQl from the end with the aperture g"; but in this case the aperture 9 instead of opening directly into the atmosphere communi' ates, through the. duct 9 with the shunt-controller S, opening into the central chamber 8 thereof. The partitions in the intermediate chest G are formed with valve-seats g g", with Wlllcll engage alternately valves it" upon the valve-stem I, the latter being also formed. with end ahutlnents i Whic h bear against the di aphragms g g, respectively.

The shunt-controller Sis formed with a diaphragm-chamber s, in whiqh is situated the diaphragm s interposed between the valveseat 8 and the open end oi the air-pressure ducts Z and j, the former connecting with the air-pressure valve L or other manually-operated air-inlet device and the latter with the tracker-board T, s{ is an equalizing-duet connecting the chamber g with the diaphragm-chamber s of the shunt-t ontroller S. The latter is also formed with a seat 8 and chamber 8, the latter communi ating with the atmosphere through the opening 8 The valve-stemf carries the two valves f and and is formed at its lower end with the open cupshaped bearing f for contact with the diaphragm s The conduit h from the variable-tension chamber 9 enters the vacuum-chamber h of the action box or chest H. Said vacuumchamber h communicates, through a series of ports h, with a series of chambers h, each coincident with and individual to one of the series of key-pneumatics K. Each of said chambers 72 is formed with two valve-seats 713* 71 one, h, opening to the atmosphere, and the other, 71?, through the port It into the vacuum-ehamber h. The valve-seats 7:? are closed normally by valves on rods P, which also carry valves p' for engagement with the seats h opening to the atmosphere. In these chambers 71", between the valveseats 71 its, are situated the openings into the key-pneumatics K. The end of each valve-rod P is formed with an open eupshaped. bearing 7) for contact \Yltll the diaphragm 71 situated. in the spin-e 7: and interposed between t he seat It" and the air-duct t, leading to the t1aeker-lmard- 'l. 'l evalva ICQ is admitt d unt'lerneat motion in either direction. .lCach key-pneu- .inatic r; is connected by a rod lit with an acmating-lever], by which a particular key of the musical instrument is depressed whenever its penumatic ii is tlellated. and released when said pneumatic K again intlated under the condi.io'ns hereinafter set t'orth. H7 is to be understtmd that the diaphragm-s shown are formed with bleedholes or that orovi 'on is otheruise made for their rection. 'the cup-shaped hearings on the end oi the valve-stems are also pti rlorated or formed to admit of the cirrulat ion of air.

Under normal (aondhions the music-sheet M, traveling between the rollers min, admits air to the duct 25 whenever a pert'oration comes into coincidence \\ith the corresponding opening in the tracker-board T, thereby forcing the diaphragm I1 forward, opening the valve 7) and seating the valve and rausinc the collapse of the pneumatic ii. The lorce and speed ol' the downward st I'Oht thus imparted b the pneumatic ti to the key of the musical instrument through the medium ol' the rod L" and lever (1 will oiviously depend upon the degree ot vacuum or tension in the vacuuni-chamber l1 ot the actioit-chest ll and this in turn on the degree ol tension in. the variable-tension chamber ot' the intermediate chest (it Playing without imm'l'erenee or hand nianipulai ion of the parts, this degree ol tension will equal that existing at the time in the tensiona'egulator It, since communication is unobstructed through the conduit, 2-, between said tensionregulator bl and the varial le-teusion chamher this beingthe relation ol the parts as shown it the accompanying drawing. 'lhe tension. in the clutmberf is Iil2ttlt.;1t't:!t.(l'tlltl n in the chambers and to cause :tt't'tli'itltL- lion by the etl'orts ot' the pert'ormer i. h the istance ot' the regulator lt it being understood that the exhausters lC continue to exhaust. treely t'rom the reservoir ft uithuut cheek/the xhaust from chambers 5 and f/ being throttled through the regulator it instead ot direct. as is the exhaust from the chamber ,1" to the reservoir i .n'r'cli. nation is tu-romplisln-d either by an a ct-m-port'oroti n in themusie-sheet pas ing over 1 he mom h ol' the opening" in the trackerhoartt leading' to the t-onduit or by the depress t (it the air-inessure Valve l1, the restilt tit-in the same in either case in. that air h the diaphragm s in the shunt-rout ro ler S, thereby raising" the \'tll'\'(-l 'l(,'H- :tnd ra re f, atlmittit through the open ng valve-seat :5, ch: ber s uni duct to t he rear ol' the diaphrz .qtt, the same time the valve/" is seate t.

,uttfng ni 'taniuuilu'ation bet ween t he chi-st 1 over until the valve i rests against its seat:

y", at, the same time withdrawing the valve i from its seat 9, thus closing communication between the variable chamber 9 and the chamber g, and opening communication between the chamber 9* and said variable-exhaust chamber g.

At the end of the accentuation the airpressure valve l r is released, cutting off at? mospherie pressure beneath the diaphragm s of the shunt-controller S, and thereby lowering the spindlef, seating the valve f, unscating the valve f and opening communication between the interior of the controller S and chamber 9 through the medium of the duct .9 thereby equalizing the pressure on both sides oi. the diaphragm g Atmospheric pressure being thus cut ofl' at this end of the intermediate chest G and the tension neutralized on opposite sides 01' thediaphragm f, the pressure of the'atmosphere upon the diaphragm g" throup'h the port g at the oppo site end. ot' the chest G cll'eets the retraetile movement of the Valve-rod I and restores the parts to their normal positions, so called, as shown in the drawing, with the tension-regulator It in indirect. conil'nunication with the exhaust-chamber h in the action-chest II.

My normal-tension regulator consists, essentially, of a pneumatic. 1', communicating, through the conduit 1', with the normal-tension chamber g in theintermediate chest G and with the a cell tuatingreservoir A through the conduit as hereinbe t ore intimated, the essential feature oi its use being the interposition between said accentuating-reservoir and said. normal-tension chamber g by way of conduit r of a throttle-valve actuated by a pneun'iatic controlled indirectly by the airtension in the exltat1stel1amber 71 of the action-chest ll. For this reason the particular term of throttle-valve used is of secondary importance, and I do not conline myself to the identical construction and arrangement ot valve and ports, since' various mechanical expedients may be substituted with like result.

.itwill be see u that the normal-tension chains her 1 is in communication with the interior oi" the pneumatic 2' through the medium ol the conduit 1", while the interior of tlre aceentuatinga-hamher A in cotmnunieation, through the conduit 2*, with the port-chamber e of the regulator l1, into which the valve port or ports 0" open and through which (:onununi ration is bad with the interior ol the pneumat in 7.

The available area of this commumration through the valve port or ports 0" is when the latter nearly governed. by the position of the valve-blade 2., pivotally supported at one extremityand connected by a link [with aslide U, mounted upon the movable member 1* of the pneumatic 1, the slide i vself being controlled manually or otherwise by in conjunction with an indicator It is obvious that the thrust of the valveblade '0 with relation to the valve port or ports e when the movable member 1-" of the pneumatic r is drawn inward will be governed by the position of the slide IT upon said movable member. Thus if the slide is pushed downward the extent of variable thrust will be diminished, and vice versa.

A buffer B is used to stop the valve-blade v or completely closes the port or ports 6 a resilient spring or equivalent device Y being arranged to tend. constantly to expand the pneumatic r and force its movable member outward against the resistance of the internal tension. Thus the spring Y or other retractile device tends constantly to retract the valve-blade 42 .away from the valve port or ports a, while the -eX-. ternal atmospheric pressure tends to close the said port or ports a, owing to the partial vacuum created internally by the exhaust mechanism acting through said ports. While I do not restrict myself to a spring as a means of retracting the valve-blades '1), I find the use of a coiled conical spring such as shown advantageous in that it affords a gradual increasing resistance to the closing of the ports 0 as the slide U is lowered.

The object being to maintain a prescribed degree of working tension within the normaltension chamber 9 and exhaust-chamber h, it is obvious that air admitted to the latter through the note sounding pneumatics, be the same more or less in quantity in a given time, should be withdrawn from said windchest immediately and automatically without increasing the working tension above that desired and prescribed .by the operator. Thus the slide U being set to represent a prescribed degree of tension in the norm al-ten- .sion chamber g, any excess of air admitted from the note-sounding pneumatic into the exhaust chamber 71/ and normaltension chamber 9 will inflate the pneumatic 1' of the regulator- R and thereby cause the valveblade '1. to open the port or ports a more or less to allow the quick withdrawal of such excess of air.

My normal-teiision-regulat-ing reservoir ll thus 'iracticallyprotects the normal-tension chamber (1 against ah increase of tension above the. normal prescribed by the position of the slide U, since the cxhausters can only take through the throttlethe excess of air admitted int-o the exhaust-chamber h from the note-actuating mechanism. It also acts automatically to maintain and preserve the means of a rod a, con nected with a hell-crank lever u, arranged f prescribed degree of tension in the chamber 9 when the said chamber is closed during accentuaticn, as hereinbefore described, so i that the normal tension may be immediately restored by the shifting of the valve mechanism upon the release of the air-valve L. By i'ny present combination and arrange ment of parts I enable the operator to control, regulate, and vary by hand the normal or accompaniment tension, a result heretofore accomplished largely through the exhaust mechanism by the feet of the operator. I 5 thus render the control of the apparatus l more direct and simple and facilitate its opery ation by learners and unskilled players. At the same time I simplify and cheapen the apparatus, since. I dispense with thenormal reservoir and connections described in In concurrent application, Serial No. 182,449, and by substituting my manually-controlled tension-regulator attain like results and ad.- vantages.

By my invention it will be seen that I afford means for varying the so-called normal or accompaniment tension by hand and independent of the means for accentuation or melody, and this is a distinguishing and important practical feature as compared with the prior state of the art.

to secure by Letteisalatent, is

' 1. In automatic players, the combination of an action-chestcontrolling the key-pneumatics, a normal-tension regulator and reservoir connected indirectly therewith .and directly with a high-tension reservoir, adjustable means for prescribing the degree of tension in said normal-tension regulator and reservoir together, with said high-tension reservoir connected directly with the exhaust mechanism and indirectly with said action-chest, means for opening and closing connection between said normal-tensionreservoir and said actionchest, and means for opening and closing connection between said highetension reservoir and saitl actionchest for the purpose set forth.

2. In automatic players, the combination of-an action-chest controlling the key-pneumatics, a norm al-tcnsion regulator and reservoir connected indirectly therewith and directly with a hightension reservoir, adiustable. means for prescribing the degree of tension in said normal-tension regulator and was ervoir together with said high-tension reservoir connected directly with the exhaust mechanism and indirectly with said actionchest and means for simultaneously closing communication between said norm al--tension reservoir and said action-chest and opening communication between the latter and said high-tension reservoir, and vice versa, f or the purpose set forth.

3. In automatic players, the combination of an action-chest. controlling the key-penumatics, a normal-tension reservoir connected indirectly therewith and directly with a hi htension reservoir, means for varying and controlling the tension insaid normal-tension reservoir, said high-tension reservoir connected directly with the exhaust mechanism and indirectly with the said actionchest, an inter'mtatate variable-tension chest interposed in the conduits between the said action-chest, valves in said variable-tension chest arranged to simultaneously close com munication between one of the said tensionrservoirs and the said action-chest and to 7 open communication between the latter and the other tension-reservoir, and vice versa, and means for operating said valves for the purpose described.

at. In automatic players, the combination of an action-chest controlling the key-pneumatics, a normal-tension regulator connected indirectly therewith and directly with a hightension reservoir, means for varying and controlling the tension in said normal reservoir, sai'd high-tension reservoir connected directly with the exhaust mechanism and indirectly with the said action-chest, a variabletension chest termed with three chamber", 4

the central one of which is connected. wit said action-chest, and the end chambers of which are connected respectively ith the said normal-tension regulator and the hightension reservoir, valves in said middle chan ber arranged to alternately open and close communication between it and said end chambers, and means for actuating said valves.

5. In automatic players, the combination of an action-chest controlling the key-pneumatics, a normal-tension regulator consisting of a pneumatic indirectly connected with said action-chest and formed with a portchamber connecting directly with a hightension reservoir, and an adjustable valve in said pneumatnc arranged to control com-- munication between it and the said port chamber, saidhigh-tension reservoinconnected directly wit. the exhaust mechanism and indirectly with said ac ionchest, means tor openingand closing comnnulication be-.

tween said normal-tension regulator and said action-chest, and means for opening and closing communication between said high-tension reservoir and said action-chest, tor the purpose described.

6. In automatic lavcrs the combination ol an action-chest controlling the key-pneumatics, a. normal-tension regulator conssting of a pneumatic nnlirectly connected w.t.=1 said action-chest and formed with a portcl'iamber connecting directly with a high-tom sion reservoir and an adjustable valve in said pneumatic arranged to control connnunication between it and the said port-clntmber, means for controlling said adjustable valve manually, said high-tension reservoir connected directly with the exhaust mechanism and lndacctly with said action-chest, means for opening and clos-ng comnmmcation between said normal-tensmn reservoir and said action-chest, and means tor opening and closing communication between Silltt highten- SlOll reservoir and said actionchest, for the purpose (iOSClibtKl.

7. In automatic players, an action-chest, an accentnating-reservoir connected with said action-chest, an interposed valved chest in said connection, an automatic variablepneumatic-tension regulator in addition to and connected with said reservoir and embodying a pneumatic and a slide-valve within said pneumatic, said regulator being also connected with said action-chest through said valved chest, and means for exhausting the air from said reservoir.

8. In automatic piano-players the combination oi an action-chest, an acccntuatingreservoir, a variable-tension regulator controlling automatically said desired tensions, means for setting the same at any desired tension while in operation, exhausters for said regulator and reservoir and means for cutting otl communication between the variable-tension regulator and action-chest and si'n'mltanaously putting the reservoir in communication with said action-chest.

' 9. In automatic piano-players, the combination of an action-chest, means therein for controlling a plurality of 11i n\-'e1'- ne111'11atics, an aceentirating-reservoir, a VH-llttlllC-tOHSIOIl regulator controlling automatically the desired tensions, means for setting the same a t any desired tension while in operation, exhausters for said regulator and reservoir, a shunt-controller and cooperating means for cutting oll' communication between the variable-tension regulator and action-chest and simultaneously putting the reservoir in communication \\ith said action-chest whereby the action-chest is conncctihlc with. the exhaustcr direct or with the regulator so that one is cut oil when the other is on.

10. ln automatic piano-players, the combination of an :ltllOll-(IKSL means therein lor controlling a plurality of powermcumatlcs, an .Ht'tlltllfl ll)Q l'0S(!\()ll, a yariuhletension regulator controlling antoinatically the desired tensions, means tor setting the same at any desired tension while in 'oporation, oxhuuswrs For said regulator and reservoir, pncunnllically-nctuatcd moans tor ruttingoll' colnlnuniralion lrctwpcu the variabletonsion rogul tor and action-chest and sillllIllHHOHlL-d) putting the rese voir in comj municaiiou with said action-clwst.

, ll. ln automatic pi.-1no-pl:1yors, the roinl binatlon ol' an :n'lion-l-lwsl. moans (hr-rein l l l'or controlling a plurality of powermcumatics. an ar -cmnaling--n sl-i"\or, a varlnl lwtcnsion regulator controlling automatically the I desired tensions, moans tor setting the same IOO IIO

a iases at any desired tension While in operation, exhausters for said regulator and reservoir, manually-actuated means for cutting off communication between the variable-tension regulator and action-chest and simul taneously putting the reservoir in communication with said action-chest.

12. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with an action-chest containing means tor controlling a plurality of power- Pneumatics, a variable-tension regulator,

' means for eXhausting air from said regulator,

neously said regulator embodying means for expanding said regulator and also mechanism adapted to control communication between said regulator and the exhaust means, said mechanism being actuated by the contraction and expansion of. the regulator, an accentuating-reservoir, a shunt-controller and means interposed between said controller and reservoir and regulator for cutting off communication between the variable-tension regulator and action-chest and simultauttin the reservoir in communication with sai action-chest. v

13. In automatic piano-players, the combination of an action-chest containing means for controlling a'plurality of power-pneumatics, a variable-tension regulator, means for exhausting air from said regulator, a shunt-controller controlled automatically or by hand forcontrolling communication between said action-chest and said regulator, an accentuatingv-reservoir, and .means for cutting off communication between the variable-tension regulator and action-chest and simultaneously utting the reservoir in communication wit said action-chest.

14. In'automatic musical instruments, the combination of an action-chest, an accentuating-reservoirl connected with said actionchest, a variable-tension regulator, means situated between said, action-chest and regulator for cutting off communication between said regulator and the action-chest and ,si-v

multaneousiy putting the reservoir into communication with the action-chest, said controlling means being controlled automatically orby hand, and means for exhausting air from said reservoir and regulator.

' GEORGE P. BRAND. Witnesses: v

D. W. GARDNER, I Gno. WM. Mm'r'r. 

